Chennai To Get Olympic City, Dedicated Motorsports City; CM Vijay Announces Major Sports Push

Last Updated:September 03, 2026, 12:11 IST

CM C Joseph Vijay announced a Tamil Nadu Olympic City and a dedicated motorsports city in Chennai, aiming for advanced sports facilities and F1-4 races.

Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay announces Olympic City and motorsports city in Chennai (Photo: PTI)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday announced the establishment of a world-class Tamil Nadu Olympic City in Chennai, along with a dedicated motorsports city in the state capital.

The Olympic City will be developed by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and is intended to create an integrated sports hub with advanced facilities for athletes, according to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Vijay made the announcement under Rule 110 in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

The proposed Olympic City will feature world-class sports arenas, state-of-the-art sporting equipment, a High Performance Training Centre, and dedicated Sports Science and Sports Medicine centres.

The facility will also include modern infrastructure and accommodation facilities for sportspersons and coaches, according to the announcement.

The Olympic City is aimed at providing athletes from Tamil Nadu with advanced training and support facilities.

The objective is to help sportspersons from the state win more medals at the Olympic Games and other international sporting events.

Dedicated Motorsports City In Chennai

Alongside the Olympic City, Chief Minister Vijay announced that a dedicated motorsports city would be established in Chennai.

The proposed facility is intended to host Formula 1-4 races in the city.

The announcement comes as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has been working towards strengthening the motorsports ecosystem in the country, with a task force created in June to monitor motorsports.

The task force has been formed with a vision of bringing Formula 1 racing back to India by the end of 2028.

“We will try to bring back F1 in India by 2028. For this, we created a task force which monitors motor sports in the country and submits its report to the Ministry,” a MYAS source told ANI on Saturday.

F1, MotoGP And WRC Plans

Earlier this year, Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) President Arindam Ghosh attended a meeting with the Sports Ministry in New Delhi, where efforts to bring major international motorsport events back to India were discussed.

Ghosh had said that efforts were underway to bring Formula 1 back to India by 2030, while also seeking a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and MotoGP by 2028.

Later, speaking at the FMSCI Annual Awards function, Ghosh said the meeting with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State Raksha Khadse, senior officials and potential stakeholders in New Delhi had primarily focused on bringing F1, MotoGP and a round of the WRC to India.

“The meeting with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State Raksha Khadse, senior officials and potential stakeholders in New Delhi, focused primarily on bringing F1, MotoGP and a round of the WRC to India,” Ghosh said, according to ANI.

He added, “The Federation stressed the need to develop Indian drivers and the overall development of motorsports in India, and the FMSCI’s inputs were well received.”

The FMSCI Annual Awards function also recognised the motorsports national champions for 2025. At the Awards Night in Bengaluru, 137 trophies across 17 disciplines, covering both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, were presented.

Awards were also given to the winning teams, promoters and sponsors of the 17 national championships.

The announcements in Chennai cover both athlete development and motorsports infrastructure, with the proposed Olympic City focused on high-performance training and sports support, while the dedicated motorsports city is planned to provide a venue for Formula 1-4 races.

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Will the Olympic City help Tamil Nadu athletes win more medals?

The Olympic City is intended to help Tamil Nadu athletes win more medals at the Olympic Games and other international sporting events. It aims to achieve this by providing sportspersons with advanced training, state-of-the-art equipment, and support facilities within an integrated sports hub.

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Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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